We went apple picking with some friends yesterday. The importance of school is that it is the point in which you no longer get to chose friends for your kids based on how much you like their parents. At least, this is what I keep trying to convince Skylar. He seems to think academics are pretty important, but we'll see how many weekends he has to work once the years of frequent and awkward birthday parties begin.
I digress. It was so fun to spend the day with ladies who are awesome. I've been somewhat, mildly, complaining about new life in a small old town. O.k., I've been whiny and overreacting a bit. The thing that makes being unhappy about something really unhappy is when everyone around does not see what there is to be unhappy about. 'Great schools? Scenic safe neighborhoods? No poverty? Oh, life must be so hard.'
It was nice to have some of the drawbacks of our new(-ish) Connecticut suburban life validated, even if our buddies are not ready to run away to The City with us... yet.
It is also so nice to have apples on a cool crisp day, like the ones ahead. Cake is good, too, on pretty much any day.
Applesauce Spice Cake
I made this cake on a cool day last week. It is a variation on this recipe from Cooking Light. The good thing about the original is that there is so much applesauce in it, you pretty much can't go wrong. The bad thing is that it is a bit too sweet, for me. Here are my alterations, but feel free to push it further. Like spice? Spice it up. Maybe replace the cardamon with cloves, add more cinnamon... Go crazy! It is cake!
1 C & 2 T packed brown sugar
1/2 C & 2T melted butter
1 1/2 C & 2 T applesauce (the kind with no sugar added)
2 egg whites
1 egg
3 C all-purpose flour
2 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 t cardamon
1/4 t salt
Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Grease and line the bottom of two round 9 inch cake pans with parchment paper.
In a bowl sift the dry ingredients together, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl add the melted butter to the brown sugar. Mix well. Don't be shy. Mix in the applesauce, then the eggs. Everything should be very well Incorporated.
In three additions, fold the dry ingredients into the wet. Don't worry about any little lumps. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
Bake for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cream Cheese Frosting
5 C sifted powdered sugar (you might need a smudge more, if it is not as stiff as you want it)
8 oz. cream cheese (I used light, and still think it is fab. I have use fat free, and it was yucky. Full fat, is always best, though.)
1 stick butter, at room temperature
2 t vanilla extract
In the bowl of an eclectic mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter. When they are fully Incorporated, add the powdered sugar in three additions, alternating with the vanilla. Beat until well Incorporated.
After the cake has cooled, knock yourself out. Have fun with frosting. I originally made this cake to practice cake decorating. As you can tell, I did not get very far before I decided it was more fun to eat it. I probably had a cup of frosting left over, plenty to frost the whole cake and have some decorating fun.
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